Season on the Brink
by Lipstick and Cleats
Summary: It's the start of their final season as Tree Hill Ravens and the Scott brothers are in for a myriad of changes. If they can adapt to new relationships, and a new basketball coach, they just might be champions after all. Naley, Brucas, Leyton.
1. Introducing Coach Dixon

**Season on the Brink**

**I usually like to let my work speak for itself, but I think it's important that you read this knowing I'm not really following any particular season storyline here. Of course, there will be elements of the things that have happened over the past three seasons of OTH (minus most of season 2, cause I didn't really watch it much), but this piece will kind of mush it all together and jumble it all up. Let me know what you think - reviews give me the confidence to move forward.**

**P.S. Kudos and brownie points if you recognize the title of the story. ;)**

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"Hey, man," Nathan Scott called out as his brother, Lucas, stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Headed to the court?"

Nodding, Nathan jogged to catch up and then fell into step with Lucas as they headed toward the river court. "Practice starts tomorrow," the younger brother finally said.

"It's gonna be so weird without Whitey," Lucas added, shaking his head.

The sudden death of their beloved coach, just before the start of their senior year, had hit both Scott brothers hard. The worst part was that their father, Dan, was the front runner to replace the former coach, the one he had tried so hard to replace the year before.

"You wanna head over to the gym?" Lucas asked suddenly. "Play a little one-on-one before it's stained with Dan-filled memories?"

---

Dan Scott walked through the halls of Tree Hill High School with a spring in his step, happily swinging his whistle at his side. Though the school board had yet to make the decision final, he was ready to move into Whitey's old office and start reviewing game tape for the new season.

Sure, they had lost in the first round of the playoffs last year, but that was because he hadn't had an entire season to shape the kids, to mold them into real players. They had been able to do whatever they wanted under Whitey's system, and with no structure, they had suffered. The entire community had suffered under the embarrassment of their lost season, and he was tired of it.

Pushing the door of the locker room open, Dan stopped cold in the doorway.

"Can I help you?"

He eyed the petite woman behind the desk. "Can I ask what you're doing in my office?" he asked, shaking his head to gather his thoughts.

She smiled and secured her blonde hair into a tight ponytail. "Sure, you can ask," she winked, hanging a framed photo on the wall. "Except that you're in my office."

With a chortle, Dan moved to the desk and leaned toward her. "Listen, little girl," he spoke to the woman who couldn't be more than twenty-five. "I don't know who you think you are, or how you got lost on the way to spin class, but I am Dan Scott and this is my office. The Ravens are my team."

She had picked up another photo, and then sat it back on the top of the credenza behind her desk. With a nod, she took a piece of paper from her side and looked it over. "Then we have a problem, Mr. Scott," she said, holding the document up for him to see. "Because this contract, signed by the school board and the athletic commitee, says that I am the coach of the Tree Hill Ravens through the 2007 season. So, if I'm correct, then that would make this my office. And," she raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It would make the Ravens MY team."

"What in the hell qualifies you?" Dan asked suddenly. "Who the hell are you?"

The young woman smiled again and slid off the credenza, returning to the decorating job at hand. "Call me Coach Dixon. My friends call me Paige, but we're not friends." She raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him. "And you can inquire for a full list of my qualifications from the athletic commitee. I really have too much to do to spend my time listing them for you."

Dan looked her over again. She was barely 5'6" and couldn't wear more than a size 4 dress. Her figure was good, he noticed as he glanced down the front of her tank top. "They are rather sizable accomplishments," he smirked.

Coach Dixon crossed her arms, giving him a better view of what he was blatantly staring at. "Ya know, while it's been a pleasure finally getting to meet the infamous Dan Scott, there is something that you need to remember. I may look like a cheerleader, but I am not here to shake my pom poms. I will not be pushed around by anyone, and that includes you.

"Because let me be really honest with you, Mr. High School Basketball Star," she returned the cocky look he had given her. "I don't really care what you did when you were a student here. Hell, I don't even care what I did when I was a student. Because the only high school basketball that matters to me, Dan Scott, is the ball my guys are going to play this season. That's it. Nothing before it, nothing after it."

When she uncrossed her arms and flipped through a few file folders, Dan tapped on the finger on the desk. "You have no idea what you're in for, little girl," he warned before turning and leaving.

The young woman looked around the office after Dan left and lowered her frame to the chair behind her desk. "Come on in, fellas. Daddy's gone."

Nathan and Lucas rounded the corner, shoulders slumped like little boys caught eavesdropping on their parents. "Um, we were just," Lucas started.

But she held up her hand. "You were just lurking in the hallway, trying to see if the newbie could take on Satan's evil twin?" When they shared a knowing look, she motioned to the chairs across from her desk. "Lucas, right?" The blonde brother nodded. "And Nathan?" The brunette affirmed. "Paige Dixon. Coach Dixon to you guys."

They both smiled and watched as she flipped a folder open and withdrew two cloth "C's" from it. "What's that?" Nathan asked.

She rolled her eyes and handed each of them one. "Normally, I would make my captain earn his title. But I found this folder when I was cleaning out Coach Durham's desk. He was a great coach," she nodded with a respectful glance to the picture of last year's team on the wall behind her. "Started his preseason scouting as soon as last season was over. And he had a very specific note on the first page - Make Nathan and Lucas co-captain this team."

Lucas shook his head and smiled over at Nathan. "He really did want us to kill each other," he smiled nostalgically.

Paige leaned forward and folded her hands, her eyes narrowing. "Coach Durham was an incredibly well-respected coach amongst the high school basketball elite. I am handing those positions to you because I trust that he knew what he was doing. But I am not going to spend an entire season watching you two play bull shit posturing games with each other. Is that clear?"

The sudden shift in her tone, from sweet, little Southern belle to harsh, demanding basketball nazi. "Sure," Nathan answered with a shrug.

She didn't smile. "I'm not playing around, guys. I'm not here to make friends, and I could give a fuck less about respecting tradition." She looked at the fabric in their hands. "You both have impressive numbers and your stats are well-documented." She looked back at the paper in front of her. "But you both also have criminal reprimands and an equally well-documented history of violence amongst yourselves. So my gut is telling me that this whole captain situation is a horrible idea."

The Scott brothers shifted uncomfortably in their seats, staring at the floor and refusing to meet each other's eyes. "Coach," Lucas started.

She held up a finger. "Prove me wrong," she said, looking at both of them for a moment and then standing. "I've got decorating to do. Should be a couple more hours, so you guys can shoot around until I'm ready to go. Go easy on the floor, though. I don't wanna re-wax before tomorrow's practice."

When she turned her back to hang another photo, the brothers stood and headed for the gym. "So what do you think?" Nathan asked as they began to shoot the ball.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and caught the rebound. "We'll see. Seems alright," he answered non-chalantly.

They both knew that a new coach was going to bring changes. But a female coach was going to bring an explosion. Mostly with Dan. And that alone was enough for the Scott boys.


	2. Opportunity Awaits

**Season on the Brink**

**Just a quick explanation on the title of this story: When I named the story, it was because I'm Indiana born and bred - I love my IU Hoosiers, and the book chronicling their 1987 season is one of my favorites. It wasn't until I was posting the story that I remembered James Lafferty had starred as Steve Alford in the movie version. I don't know if that's just a crazy coincidence or something more, but I'm glad you all picked up on it!**

**Oh, just one more thing - know that this story IS going to contain subplots dealing with the Lucas, Brooke, Peyton triangle, and with Nathan and Haley, but you may have to wait a couple of chapters - I have through chapter 5 written already, and I promise it's coming, so bear with me.**

**And thanks for the reviews that you guys have already sent - that's so cool! I appreciate it.**

Nathan Scott opened the front door of his parents' palatial estate to find the one person he was hoping he wouldn't have to face. "Hey, Dad," he said quietly, lowering his head as he started toward the stairs. If he could just make it to his bedroom, maybe he could avoid an inevitable confrontation.

"Nathan," Dan's voice was smug and booming. "Come here for a second, son."

With a heavy sigh, Nathan dropped his gym bag on the stairs and followed his father into the study. Another man, older, with graying hair and a cordial smile, was sipping from a tumbler of Scotch. Walking toward Nathan, he extended a hand. "Lewis Tunstill. Nice to meet you, Mr. Scott."

Nathan smiled easily and then shifted uncomfortably. "Nice to meet you, too," he said, his eyes full of questions for his father, who was now refilling his own tumbler.

"Nathan, Dr. Tunstill is the Athletic Director at Oakworth Academy," Dan explained. "And he is very interested in you."

A smart retort begged Nathan to be released, but he swallowed the words and smiled awkwardly, a blush crossing his strong features when he realized one of his games was playing on the flat screen television behind him. "Um, okay," he managed to say finally.

"I've seen your game tapes, Nathan, and I have to say that you are a phenomenal ball handler. Your shooting technique is flawless, and it's hard to argue with the numbers you put up in your previous three seasons with Tree Hill High School." Dr. Tunstill walked past him and let his eyes linger on the television screen.

Dan smiled proudly, moving to the other man's side. "Nathan has been the leading scorer for the Ravens for the last two years. The greatest player to walk through those doors since I was there," he added with a smile.

With another uncomfortable shift, Nathan let his mind wander as the conversation turned to Dan's high school career. It always came back to him somehow. "So what exactly is it that you want with me, Dr. Tunstill?" Nathan asked finally, interrupting the conversation.

"Nathan, Oakworth is nationally ranked in the top 25 in the country. Scouts from all over watch the players that this school turns out. If you really want to make it at a Division I contender, you need the kind of exposure that this school can provide for you," Dan sold the school as though he were the AD, not the man at his side.

It was Dr. Tunstill who finally took a step toward Nathan. "Son, I think that you would be a fitting addition to our squad. While your grades aren't up to our admission standards, there are exceptions that can be made under extenuating circumstances."

Nathan bit his lip, willing the memory of Haley James from his mind. When she had been his tutor, his grades had improved considerably. And on the day that she broke up with him, they slid right back down again. Basketball was his only hope. But he wanted to play at Tree Hill, not at Oakworth or anywhere else.

"Dr. Tunstill, let me assure you that Nathan appreciates this tremendous offer," Dan started.

"I'm not interested," Nathan interjected. When his father gave him a confounded look, he just moved toward the older man and extended his hand. "Thank you for the offer, Dr. Tunstill. I know that it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But I have a team, and a life, in Tree Hill," he explained.

While Dan stumbled to find his words, Dr. Tunstill patted Nathan's shoulder and nodded. "I understand your feelings, Nathan, your fear of change. But if the NBA is your ultimate dream, Oakworth is a definitive step in that direction. I can promise you that Tree Hill will not offer you the same exposure." He took a deep breath and put his hand in his pocket. "I am willing to leave the offer on the table until the end of the quarter, in case you change your mind."

Before he could be stopped, Nathan left the room and scaled the stairs. There would be hell to pay with Dan later, but Nathan didn't care. Now that he was the captain of the Ravens, he knew he could help lead them to a championship. He knew that he could catch the eye of a few scouts on his own. And if he couldn't, then he wasn't sure he needed to in the first place.

---------------------

Lucas Scott awoke with a start at the ringing of his cell phone. Sometimes, when he was sleeping in an awkward position, his surgically repaired shoulder would ache under the pain of the tightening scar tissue. And sometimes it just hurt because his girlfriend, Peyton, was laying on it.

Struggling to move without waking her, he rolled over and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Lucas, I need to talk to you."

Sitting up a little straighter in the bed, Lucas blinked his eyes to adjust to the sound of the husky voice in his ear. "Brooke," he sighed, glancing over his shoulder. Peyton's eyes were still closed, her breathing still even, but he could never be sure with her. "What's wrong?"

Brooke cleared her throat on the other end of the phone. Breaking up with Lucas when she found out about his affair with Peyton had seemed like the right thing to do. But now, nearly a month later, she wasn't so sure. "I just really need to see you."

He knew that it would cause problems. He knew that losing her best friend had been hard on Peyton, and that the anger she expressed in his desire to try to fix things was just a front for the pain she was working through. "I don't know, Brooke. I'm kinda busy." He looked at the clock beside the bed. "It's two in the morning," he added sleepily.

But Brooke Davis was nothing if not determined. "And I wouldn't wake you up and drag you away from your precious Peyton if it wasn't important," she insisted, her voice lilting toward the tiny whine that had always made him smile.

With a nod, he stood from the bed and ran a hand over his naturally tossled hair. "Alright, alright," he agreed. "I will meet you at the river court in fifteen minutes." He hung up the phone and searched the darkened room for his shoes.

"What's the emergency this time?" Peyton's voice pierced the stillness of the night.

He stopped short and turned, giving her a weak smile in the darkness. "I don't know," he said, his voice cracking in defeat. "I will be back in a half an hour, Peyton, I promise." He dropped a kiss on her forehead as she rolled over and blinked to adjust her eyes.

"Luke, why don't you just go back to your house after your little covert op, okay?"

He knew that arguing was going to get him nowhere. And he couldn't blame her for wondering if he would stray. She knew first hand that he wasn't exactly Mr. Faithful. But as he angled his car out of the driveway, he realized something. He would have to convince himself that he didn't want Brooke back before he could start convincing Peyton.


	3. No Tolerance Policy

**Season on the Brink**

"Where's my captain?" Paige demanded loudly as her team shot around in the gym.

Jogging over to his new coach, dribbling casually, Nathan reported for duty. "Right here, Coach," he smiled from ear to ear. He had been waiting to be the captain of the Ravens since his freshman year, and it was an honor he wasn't taking lightly. Especially since Whitey had been the one to assign him the job.

But Paige just shook her ponytail and looked over Nathan's head. "I meant the other one." Leveling Nathan with a hard gaze, she sighed. "Where's your brother, Scott?"

As if on cue, the gym doors opened and Lucas jogged in, dressed in uniform and ready for practice. "Sorry I'm late, Coach," he heaved, trying to catch his breath. In an attempt to make up his late-night exit, he had taken Peyton to the park for a picnic, after which they had drifted into peaceful sleep. By the time he woke up, he was already five minutes late.

Paige responded by blowing her whistle. "Take a knee!" she called. The players finished their shots and a few dribbled in response to her demand. The sound of the whistle was shrill as she blew it again. "I SAID TAKE A MOTHERFUCKING KNEE!"

All sound stopped as twelve young men dropped to their knees. Paige walked among them, between them, her cherubic face looking anything but sweet. She was pissed, and they were about to feel her wrath. And it was scarier than anything Whitey had ever put them through.

"So, Scott," she finally said, stopping in front of Lucas with her hands on her hips. "Why don't you take a minute to tell your teammates what exactly was more important than showing up on time for practice."

He looked at the young woman in front of him. Surely she would find it romantic. "Um, I fell asleep in the park with my girlfriend."

But Paige wasn't impressed. "You don't have a girlfriend," she said.

"I don't?" Lucas asked, surprised by her statement.

She shook her head and looked at the team before her. High school boys thought they had the world figured out. And it was one of her greatest joys to let them know that they didn't. "No, you don't. When you step inside this gym, you don't have a girlfriend. None of you do." With her hands on her hips, she let her eyes drift from one player to another to another. "You don't have friends," she looked down at Nathan, "or anyone, really."

"You don't have parents. Parents coddle you, nurture you, and care whether or not you pass AP English. You have a coach. And don't get it twisted, boys. I'm not here to listen to your problems. I don't really care if you leave this year better men. My only concern is that you leave state champions." She took a breath and revelled in the stunned faces of her players. "Inside this gym, you don't have family at all.

"Families share secrets, and dinners, and way too much drama." The look that Lucas and Nathan shared did not go unnoticed by their coach. "But here, you have teammates. You share the ball, and scoring opportunities, and wins and losses." Shaking her head, she blew her whistle again. "You know what else you share?"

An oblivious voice from the back of the group spoke up. "Matching uniforms?"

There were a few chuckles, but Paige wasn't laughing. "No, Mr. Smith," she shook her head, motioning for them to stand. "You share the punishment for smartass remarks," she said pointedly. Looking at Lucas, she gave a small smirk. "And the dumbass actions of your captain."

A series of groans were heard as she instructed them to run suicides. During that first practice, none of them would take a shot. They wouldn't so much as dribble a basketball at all. They ran until their legs felt like jelly. They did push ups until their arms felt like spaghetti. And they did sit ups until they thought everything they had eaten for the last week would come back for an encore.

And they learned, in the span of two hours, that Paige Dixon was not interested in playing a simple game. They would be champions, even if it killed them.


	4. Finding the Connection

**Season on the Brink**

Haley watched from the sidelines as Nathan warmed up for practice. Becoming a cheerleader had been a favor for Brooke, and she couldn't say that it was her proudest moment, especially being forced to watch her ex-boyfriend sweat and look all kinds of sexy on a daily basis. Sometimes she wondered what in the world she was thinking when she broke up with him.

"Hey," her thoughts were interrupted as Peyton joined them, looking a little frazzled. "Did I miss anything?"

Haley laughed and grabbed her pom poms from the bleachers. "Just a quick look in the mirror after you got done with Luke," she smirked.

Peyton hurridly ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh," she blushed. "Um, we were just," she started, until Haley put a hand up to avoid the gory details of her friend's afternoon. "Sorry," she flinched, tucking her hair behind her ears again. "I mean, I know Lucas is overcompensating for the fact that he's still trying to make nice with Brooke, but sometimes a little overcompensation isn't so bad, right?"

"Yeah," she sighed and looked to the court, catching Nathan's eye. They both smiled instinctively. "Wish I remembered what that was like sometimes."

Before Peyton could ask for further explanation, the doors clanged shut. All of the players automatically stilled their dribbling. But Paige didn't go to them, and she didn't blow her whistle. She simply walked to the girls gathered on the sidelines.

"What is this?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Cheerleading practice," Brooke answered from behind the woman, who turned to meet her eye-to-eye.

But Paige just shook her head. "Really? Cause all I really see is a bunch of horny teen age girls, waiting for a glimpse of some sweaty, topless guys." Ten girls watched her with gaping mouth, disbelieving the audacity of this woman who really didn't look like much more than a horny teen age girl herself. "Sorry to squelch your fun, ladies, but you're gonna have to settle for gawking in the hallways from here on out. These practices are closed. To everyone who isn't a Raven."

"Exuse me," Brooke demanded, her hands on her hips. "We are Ravens. Have been for the last four years. Unlike some people in this gym."

If there was anything that everyone knew about Brooke, it was that she always got her way. Everyone at Tree Hill was more than a little intimidated by Brooke Davis. And she liked it that way. But if she was looking for a formidable opponent, she had just found one.

"Yeah, well some people in this gym get paid to be Ravens, so they get to make the rules. No matter how long they've been in the nest," Paige retorted, pointing to the door. "Go be peppy in the quad, ladies."

There were a million thoughts swarming in Haley's mind, but before she could spew any of them, Peyton put a hand on her shoulder and ushered her out of the room.

Turning, Paige rested her hands on her hips and turned to watch her team, all watching her for their next cue. "Alright, we're gonna run position drills," she instructed as her assistants joined her on the floor.

A couple of them were students at nearby Duke. Another was a hold-over from the Whitey-era. And each were whole-heartedly behind her vision for winning a championship.

She watched her guards running drives to the basket at one end of the floor while the centers worked on blocking impossible shots at the opposite end. The forwards were working on defensive stances on the sidelines. Paige took it all in, giving her input when she thought it was necessary, and giving her colleagues space when it wasn't.

After thirty minutes, she blew her whistle again. "Alright, teams," she called out. Immediately, the players divided on two sides of the center line. "Fifteen minutes, all out. Anybody decides to give me a half-assed effort, you will spend the remainder of your practice running wind sprints that will make you cry for your mother. Is that clear?"

They all nodded, moving into position and waiting for the whistle. Paige had no doubt they were working their hardest, each striving to impress her, and their teammates. Though she couldn't let them see it, she was proud of them. Sure, they had a lot to learn, but they were coming along.

"Nathan, pass it to Turner," she called, and then let herself smile on the inside when he did as he was told. That kid had a world of talent and potential, like none she had ever coached. He was special, Nathan Scott was.

"Double cover him," she shouted to two of the other guys. "Double cover him!" When her instruction was ignored, she blew her whistle angrily. "TAKE A KNEE!"

Nathan shot a look at Lucas as they dropped side-by-side. She didn't yell often, but when she did, it meant something. "Fuck," Nathan breathed, causing his brother to smile.

Paige grabbed the ball and threw it against the far wall with a strength they hadn't seen yet. "What is your malfunction?" she asked, throwing her hands up in disgust before running her hands over her standard ponytail. "You think you know more than me, Tim? Do you?"

Slinking back slightly, Tim hissed under his breath slightly. "Nathan's a bigger threat," he said softly.

"Really? Nathan's the bigger threat?" She turned to look at the young man on her left as she positioned herself squarely between her two captains. "Would you like to tell Mr. Smith what the real threat is in this gym, Mr. Scott?"

He shrugged. "I'm gonna let you field this one, Coach," he said softly.

She almost cracked a smile, but hid it when she turned back. "Your position on this squad is going to be threatened if you don't quit thinking you know what's best for this team and start listening!" Without warning, she turned and left the court.

"Dude, is practice over?" Turner asked quietly.

Lucas looked to the Guards coach at his side, who only shrugged. He was about to dismiss the team when Paige returned, a small box in her hand. Dumping the contents on the floor, she kicked a few of the gold rings toward Nathan and Lucas.

"Anyone else in this room have four high school letters in this sport?" A few of the guys raised their hands. "Alright. And how many championships do you have?" They lowered their hands as she bent to pick up her letters. "I have four. Three as a player, one as a coach. Anybody else in this room have an NCAA ring? Cause I have six of those, too." Lucas tossed her one and she held it up. "Two as a player and four as a coach.

"And do you know what all of these mean?" She looked to them for an answer.

"That we listen when you talk," Tim ventured a guess.

Paige nodded her head. "You should," she confirmed. "Because I'm your coach, though, not because of this," she motioned to the accessories at her feet. "Because this shit? It doesn't mean a goddamn thing." For affect, she threw the ring against the wall. "Nothing that any of us in this room have done to this point means shit. All that matters is now. This year. This team.

"Look around you," she instructed as her team began to share furtive glances. "The people in this room right now, your teammates? They're the ones that are going to take you to the top this year. I know that trust is something you earn." She looked at the Scott brothers knowingly, recalling her first conversation with them in her office. "But if there is one thing that you all need to know about me, it's that I don't like looking like an idiot.

"So when I throw a bitch fit, it's not because I'm on an ego trip. And it's not because I have PMS," she narrowed her eyes to a couple of the guys on her left, ones she had overheard at the beginning of practice. Shaking her head, she stopped speaking once again.

She had been the hard ass coach for more than three weeks, and she felt like she was earning their respect, but something still wasn't connecting. "Raise your hand if you love this game," she said suddenly. The players looked startled, but slowly, one-by-one, they each raised their hands. "Keep it raised if you need this game."

"What?" Lucas asked.

"If you need this game," Paige repeated. "If you wouldn't, couldn't, be the same without it. If it's so much a part of you that you can't imagine your life without it, keep your hand raised. If it's your only release from everything, the one thing that you can count on when you have nothing else," she felt herself getting choked up as she raised her hand higher into the air. "Because that's how I have felt since I saw my first game when I was seven. And those are the only people I want on our team."

Not one of the guys around her put their hands at their sides as they began to stand, united by her words. "You tell us what to do, Coach. We just wanna win," Lucas finally said.

"Alright then," Paige clapped her hands and blew her whistle. "Let's tip off again."


	5. The Breakdown

**Season on the Brink**

**I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. And to those of you who have offered your advice and opinions on how to make the story better, thank you a million times over. As a Naley fan, I sometimes neglect the details of the Brucas union, and your suggestions have really meant a lot to me. This chapter is actually pretty different than the original draft because of your critiques, and I love you guys for that. It means a lot to me! **

**------------**

"You have got to be kidding me," Haley growled as her jalopy car refused to start. When her parents gave it to her just before leaving town on an RV excursion, she had been grateful. But every time it choked, sputtered, and died, she felt the need to call them and demand they return from their selfish little vacation away from their parental responsibilities.

Turning the key again, she pumped the gas pedal and prayed that some sort of miracle would befall her. "Just one little spark - that's all I'm asking," she pleaded.

"Need some help?"

Turning, Haley felt her heart sink. "Um, no," she shook her head and turned the key again. "I almost got it."

"Haley," Nathan spoke firmly, reaching out to take her hand. He pulled her to her feet and smiled when she scrunched her nose again. "Let me help you out."

With a huff, she steeled her courage and pulled her arm back from his grasp. The simple touch alone had sent shivers up her spine and she couldn't afford butterflies in her stomach at the moment. "You don't know anything about mechanics, Nathan," she reminded him, instinctively thinking about the time he had tried to change her oil when they were dating while digging through her purse for her cell phone.

He shrugged and nodded over his shoulder. "No, but I have a car that actually runs," he pointed out. "And I can give you a lift home. You can call Keith on the way," he said as though it were the obvious answer.

"Look, Nathan," she started, tucking her hair behind her ear and crossing her arms over her chest. "I appreciate the offer, but," she bit her lip and shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"I'm not asking you for dinner and a movie, Hales. Just offering you a lift." He raised an eyebrow and jingled his keys. "In a car that actually works."

With a sigh, she let her shoulders sag. She could wait for Keith to come fix the car, but she had a term paper to finish and couldn't afford to lose the time. "Alright," she agreed, swallowing her pride as Nathan held the door open for her. "Thanks," she whispered, staring at her hands as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Anytime, Hales," Nathan smiled softly, directing the car to the house he had spent so many nights in. Where had they gone wrong? He wasn't sure why she had broken his heart more than three months earlier, but he knew one thing with absolute certainty. He was going to get her back.

-------------------

"Hey, Lucas," Brooke greeted as Lucas exited the gym, his eyes searching the parking lot for Peyton.

"Brooke," he said, shaking his head at her presence. It wasn't like he could just walk away from her, but if Peyton rounded the corner of the building, hell was going to be unleashed. "What's up?"

She looked up at him and took a step closer. "You asked me the other night why I was coming to you for help when you had hurt me so badly." With a slight grimace, she put a hand on his arm. "And I know I told you it was because of the sleep deprivation and the stress, but the truth is sometimes things happen that are out of our control, right? Sometimes really terrible, horrible things happen to good people, don't they?" Her eyes searched his for answers that he couldn't give.

Nodding, Lucas found himself brushing her hair from her neck. "Brooke, I told you the other night," he started.

Shaking her head, she took a step back from him and squared her shoulders. "I called you because I need to believe that you're not the kind of evil son of a bitch who would really hurt me on purpose. I needed to believe that you are a good guy who made a really horrible mistake."

The sound of the car in the background didn't deter him as he stepped forward and laced his fingers with hers. "Brooke, I have always promised you that I will be there for you, no matter what," he whispered, brushing her neck with his thumb. "I may have had trouble showing it in the past, but I'm going to make it up to you, Pretty Girl," he added as he stepped toward the curb.

As she watched him sink into the passenger seat of her former best friend's car, Brooke raised an eyebrow. He had broken promises to her before. But she had to believe that this wasn't going to be one of those times.


	6. The Evolution of Man

**Season on the Brink**

"Alright guys," Paige clapped her hands as she watched her team scrimmage on the court. There were only two practices left before their first game, and she felt a calming sense of security as she watched Nathan take a three-point shot. They were good. Damn good. And they were ready to take on all challengers.

"Nice work," she clapped, blowing her whistle to signal a slow down. "Take a knee," she instructed, walking around the line they had formed behind the center line. "Nice hustle out there, Tim," she complimented. "Free throws are on fire, Lucas. Shoulder feelin' alright?" He nodded and she moved on. "Your defense is really improving, Nathan. Nice work."

She was about to announce her starting line up for the first game when the gym doors clanked open. Turning, she smiled slightly. She wasn't surprised that they were there. The only shocking thing about Dan Scott crashing her party was the fact that he had waited so long to do it. Flanked by six other men, she was sure that he was trying to be intimidating.

She crossed her arms and waited for them to reach her team. Without a word, her assistants moved from the back of the group to her sides, ready to assist in the battle if they were needed. "This practice is closed to the public, gentlemen."

"Well, it's a good thing we aren't the public then, isn't it, Sweetheart?" Dan asked with a smug grin as he stopped on the other side of the center line from the new coach.

"Jason?" She reached toward the assistant at her left, who only handed her a clip board and re-crossed his arms. Looking over the paper in front of her, she glanced at Dan with a smile. "The rule is that only the names on my roster are allowed inside this gym during practice hours." Turning it toward Dan, she raised an eyebrow. "And since I'm looking at the list of this year's players, and not one from 1985, I think it's safe to say you're not on it." A few chuckles arose from the players behind her, but Paige silenced them with the mere motion of her shoulders. "I trust you can show yourselves out."

"Oh, we could," Dan conceded. "But we're not going to. At least not alone." Holding a hand out, he motioned to his sons. "Nathan. Lucas. Let's go."

Lucas laughed out loud, while Nathan just squared his jaw and shook his head. "Just go, Dad. We've got practice to get back to."

"Tim, come on," Mr. Smith ordered to Tim, while the other fathers gave similar orders to their sons.

When no one budged, Dan chuckled cynically. "Oh, so you're just going to stand there and hide behind your coach's skirt?" he asked, his eyes narrowed at Nathan as he addressed the entire group of young men.

"Ah," Paige nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to whip the caveman bull shit out. So that's how you wanna play, huh?" She turned to Dustin, the assistant on her right. "Can you go to my office and get the ruler please?" Turning her eyes back to Dan, she lost the smile. "That way we can all drop our pants and play 'who's is bigger?' like real men, right?"

"You always use language like that in front of the kids?" Dan asked with a cocky raise of his eyebrow.

"The kids," she emphasized the word, "understand that greatness is not dictated by gender. Unlike you, gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, they have evolved beyond the days where the men hunt and gather and the women stay home, all barefoot and pregnant. Do they get a little distracted by these sometimes?" she asked, gripping both of her breasts in her hands. "Sure, they do. They're men." Dragging her eyes from one man to the next until she had scrutinized each of them, she dropped her hands. "But that's more than I can say for you," she said in disgust.

For a split second, Dan looked stunned, but he recovered quickly, clapping his hands at the show she had just put on. "Clearly, you don't realize just who you're messing with, Paige." The way he slurred her name made her skin crawl, and he picked up on it instantly.

"Dad, can you please just go," Nathan pleaded, praying that this torture would just end soon. Part of him worried that Dan would push Paige too far, and that the team would pay the price.

"Stay out of this Nathan," Dan spat.

Looking over her shoulder, Paige smiled at him. "Yeah, Nathan, stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you." Turning back, she shook her head. "Except that it _should _have everything to do with him. But it doesn't, does it, Dan? It never does. Never has anything to do with Nathan. Or Lucas. Or any of these kids. It's all about you, isn't it? Always has been." She turned her back on the fathers in front of her and faced her team. "Anybody who agrees with your fathers, who doesn't think that I have any business running this team? Anybody who wants out? Here's your free pass out. Go on."

As the young men in front of her crossed their arms, she felt a sense of pride welling up inside her. For whatever reason they had chosen to stand behind her, they were united now. They were her team. And it didn't matter what Dan Scott or anyone else said.

"I think your sons have made their decision, gentleman." She looked to her left and her right, smiling at her assistants. "Can you show our biggest athletic supporters out?"


	7. Getting It Back

**Season on the Brink**

**Thanks again for the great reviews. Like I told you guys before, what you think, and the suggestions that you give me, are really important to me. While I have a rough outline of the story already established, I'm still not sure who Lucas is going to end up with. I know some of you are Brucas fans, others favor Leyton. All I can tell you at this point is that I'm going to try to pay as much respect to both relationships as I do to Naley. But it's important that you know how important your reviews are to me - the views that you express could very easily sway the outcome of the story, so keep 'em coming! **

**Oh, and for my fellow Naley-ites: The explanation for the big break-up is coming - I don't like to give anything away, but the answers you've all been waiting for will be given very soon.**

**-------------**

Nathan checked his watch and rolled his eyes. With his first game later that night, he didn't really have time to head to the tutor center. But after taking Haley home a few days earlier, his mind was in overdrive. If he was going to get her back, this is where he had to start. And he had to start now.

He saw her sitting in the back corner, distractedly packing her books after a session. "You off duty?" he asked casually.

Haley looked up, her face dropping at the site of him. "Um, yeah," she nodded, hitching her bag over her shoulder. "I am. So I guess I'll talk to you later."

Reaching out, he grasped her hand and immediately felt the spark at the contact. "Haley, can you just stop?"

"Stop what?" she asked, refusing to meet his eye as she stared at the floor.

"Blowing me off. Ignoring me," he pleaded, softly taking her chin in his hand and turning her face to his. "Just hear me out, okay?" When she didn't protest, he tightened his grip on her hand and chose his words carefully. "My grades kinda went down the toilet at the end of last year." She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not saying it was because of you."

"Except that it was," Haley interrupted. "It was, wasn't it?"

He had known, when he was laying in his bed concocting the plan, that guilt would be his best road in with her. She still cared about him - she had said that when she left. He could use that to his advantage. Except that now he was holding her hand, looking into her soulful eyes, and he couldn't do it. He couldn't use her own feelings against her.

"Look, Haley, it doesn't matter why it happened, okay? And what happened with us? That's whatever it was. Right now, I just need to make sure I keep my grades up enough to stay eligible to play ball." _And if I get to spend more time with you in the process, that's a bonus I will happily take._

Staring into his blue orbs, Haley felt her heart breaking all over again. She had broken up with him for a reason, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was in that moment. "Nathan," she started, sub-consciously taking a step toward him. "There are a lot of other tutors that could help you."

"You are the only one who makes everything make sense to me, Hales," he said, referring to so much more than homework.

She wanted to say 'yes' so badly, but knew exactly what it would mean if she did. It would reopen a million old wounds, ones she wasn't ready to deal with just yet. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to say 'no' either. "Can I think about it?"

While he wasn't about to give up on her that easily, Nathan knew Haley well enough to know when to push and when to back off. With a shrug, he let his shoulders sag. "Alright," he conceded. "Um, I'll see you around."

"Yeah," she nodded, brushing past him and hurrying from the room before the tears had a chance to fall.

"Woah, Haley, what's goin' on?" Brooke asked as she collided with her friend in the hallway. When Haley kept walking, Brooke turned on her heel and fell in step. "Okay, stop."

With Brooke's hands on her shoulders, Haley ran her fingers through her hair. "Nathan just asked me to tutor him," she whispered.

Though no one knew the real reason that Haley had ended things with Nathan, Brooke was closest to the truth. The unexpected friendship that she had developed with her one-time nemesis was inexplicable, even to them, but it was undeniable.

"Haley, that's awesome!" Brooke bubbled, hugging her friend impulsively. "I mean, that's the first chapter in the Naley story, right?"

"I told him I would think about it," Haley admitted.

"What?" With a stomp and a pout, Brook hitched her back pack over her shoulder and pitched a temper tantrum of sorts. "What's to think about? Haley, it's like fate is standing on your door step. It's telling you that you and Nathan belong together by delivering him to you just like it did the first time. You can't just walk away from it again. It's a sign!"

"Whoah," Haley held up a hand and started walking toward the doors again. "We are switching you to decaf, first of all," she smiled slightly. "And nothing has changed, Brooke. Nathan and I are still headed in two different directions."

She had known, for months now, that there was more to the story than Haley was telling her. But she didn't care - they were Naley. They needed each other. And if Haley was holding back, there was a reason for it.

"Haley, what's the real story of what happened back then?"

Turning toward her friend as they entered the parking lot, Haley shifted her back from her right shoulder to her left. "It's complicated, Brooke," she started.

Checking her watch, Brooke took her friend's hand and led her to the car. "We have three hours until we have to be back for the game. I think we can untangle it over some pie at Karen's."

"Okay," Haley agreed reluctantly. "But then you're going to tell me what's up with all these secret meetings you've been having with Lucas lately."

-------

"Look at my girlfriend," Lucas smiled as he walked through Peyton's bedroom door as she prepped for the game in front of her full-length mirror.

Her shoulders stiff, she blotted her lipstick with her finger and refused to look at him. "Oh, is Brooke here?"

Lucas took the hit in stride and lowered himself to the bed. "Come here, Peyton," he said, holding his hand out. When she didn't turn, he stood and walked to her, his hands on both of her shoulders. "Look at me."

"I am," she said, her jaw set as she met his eyes in the reflection.

"Look," he started, afraid of saying too much, or not enough, "I know I haven't been very, um, available lately. But you gotta know that a part of me feels really guilty for what we did to Brooke still."

Relaxing her stance, Peyton turned and rested her hands on his waist. "I know, Luke. I still feel guilty, too." Stepping away, she moved to the bed and sank into the plush mattress. "But we decided, together, that we wanted this. I thought we did, anyway. I thought we wanted us."

Her eyes were sad, so much like a lost puppy, that Lucas couldn't help going to her. Climbing onto the bed, he sat behind her and pulled her into his arms. "I do want us, Peyton. The other day, after practice, Brooke told me that she needed to know I wasn't the kind of guy that would hurt her on purpose. That she needed to believe I was a good guy who made a bad choice."

Peyton shifted slightly, touching his face with her palm. "You are a good guy, Lucas. Neither of us wanted to hurt Brooke. Sometimes," she started.

"Things just happen?" he finished, remembering the conversation he'd had with Brooke that day in the parking lot.

Peyton nodded, smiling slightly when Lucas's lips covered hers. These were the moments that numbed the guilt, the times when she knew that she was in the right place, and that time would take care of any of the heartache that being with him had caused. When he kissed her, she felt like any "bad" thing they had done to get here was justifiable.

"So," Lucas pulled back and stroked the side of her face gently. "You ready to cheer me on to victory?"

She allowed him to pull her to her feet as she grabbed her pom poms from the bed. "Hope so," she said. "If your coach lets us into the gym to cheer."

"Come on," Lucas laughed, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to kiss her quickly. "Can you really blame her for wanting a couple of super-hot basketball studs like the Scott brothers to herself?"

"Um," Peyton stopped, laughing as she rolled her eyes. "Luke," she sighed and put a hand on his cheek. "You know I love ya, but please don't ever say that again."


	8. Unbeatable

**Season on the Brink**

"You ready not to suck?" Nathan asked as Lucas walked into the locker room before the game.

With a smirk, he shook his head. "You kiddin' me? I think this is the only thing that I can trust myself not to fuck up right now."

Watching his older brother, Nathan sank to the bench and tied his sneaker. "Can I tell you something, Lucas?"

"I guess," Lucas shrugged, stripping out of his tee shirt and fumbling with his jersey. "What's on your mind, kid?"

"My dad brought a scout from Oakworth to the house the other night." Even as he said the words out loud, Nathan wished he hadn't. He was supposed to let the idea go, but it kept wiggling it's way back into his mind without permission. "I told him I didn't want to go, but he said he's going to leave the offer on the table until the end of the quarter."

Lucas wanted to tell Nathan that he had made the right choice, except he wasn't sure that he had. "Oakworth's a great school," he finally said, sitting next to Nathan to lace his own shoes. When the younger Scott didn't answer, Lucas sighed. "This because of Haley?"

"Partially," Nathan shrugged. "But it's also because I think there's a real chance for us this season. And I guess I think that it'll be more impressive if I lead this team to State than if I just follow someone else at Oakworth."

He thought about his words carefully. Nathan had a tendency to only ask for advice, or let Lucas into the major things in his life, when he really wanted answers. "Choice is yours, Nathan," he said finally, patting Nathan's knee as he stood. "But if you want my opinion? I'm glad you're sticking around."

"Alright, boys!" Paige called out as she let her office doors slam. "Circle up!" When her team gathered around, she looked at each of them, smiling slightly. "Most important game of the year takes place tonight. Running until your legs ache? Lifting until your legs feel like they're gonna fall off? Tonight we find out if all of that was really worth it. Or if I'm just full of bull shit and popscicle sticks.

"What is tonight about, Tim?" she asked suddenly.

Looking at her in shock, Tim shrugged and then thought. "It's about letting everyone know that we're the best."

Nodding, she moved into the midst of the players an stood up on the bench. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail and she wore a fitted 'Ravens' polo shirt with jeans that hugged her hips. She really looked like one of the students. But there was an authority in her voice, and in her eyes, that transcended any other appearances.

"You're wrong," she said, clapping her hands together as she surveyed all of them looking up at her. "You have the rest of the season to prove you're the best. Tonight is about making a statement. Lucas," she pointed to her co-captain. "What statement are you making tonight? What's the one thing you want everyone who steps onto the court with you to remember?"

"Nobody stops me from behind the arc," he said with confidence.

Paige nodded. "Nathan, what about you?"

"If you're gonna take a shot against me, you better make it. Cause you're not getting the rebound," he smiled, emphasizing the defensive skills she had been teaching him over the last week.

"Nice," Paige responded, moving on to the next player until everyone had established exactly what their part on this team was. "Everyone on this team is here for a specific reason. You've just proven to me that you know what that reason is. But we also have a statement to make as a team." Nodding to Jason and Dustin, she pointed to the wall.

Together, they unfurled a banner that simply read "Unbeatable."

"That's it?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrow.

Paige shrugged. "That's it. You can't beat us. That's our statement. We don't care how much you want it, how hard you've worked for it. We want it more. We've worked harder. You just can't beat us." Tapping the clipboard in her hand, she studied their anxious faces again. "Of course, if you fuck this up tonight, then we all have to ammend our statements. And do any of you know how we do that?"

"By running until our legs fall off?" Tim asked flatly.

A genuine smile finally flitted over Paige's lips as she nodded. "I'm so glad you're learning," she winked, holding her hand out. "Alright, 'unbeatable' on three." As they put their hands in, she felt the pride swelling again. "One, two, three," she shouted.

"Unbeatable!" the team shouted, breaking to take to the court for warm ups.

Following them, she tried to keep from jumping up and down at the excitement building in her. It was like her first game, freshmen year, when she was fifteen. Until she rounded the corner to the gym. "Good evening, Mr. Scott," she sighed, crossing her arms as Dan held the door open for her.

With a smug grin, he chuckled. "It's going to be a very good evening. When your team loses and the athletic committee sees what a mistake they've made," he said.

She smiled at him and winked before walking past. "Good thing we're not going to lose then, huh?"


	9. Turn of Events

**Season on the Brink**

The gym was almost empty by the time Lucas emerged from the locker room, freshly showered and searching for Peyton. While the blowout win had put him in a good mood, the site he found awaiting him threatened to put a damper on the whole evening.

"I think Nathan left already," Lucas said as Dan approached him with a wide smile.

He smiled, a creepy, slimey smile that made Lucas wonder if his mom had just made a mistake when she told him that Dan was his father. "I already congratulated him. I was waiting to do the same for you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the gesture. "Why?"

"Because you played a great game," Dan said, as though it should have been obvious. "Twenty-seven from three-point land is beyond impressive," he explained, just in case Lucas wasn't aware that he had lit up the scoreboard, and the fans. "I know I don't say it enough, but you're a great player, Lucas."

With a cynical chuckle, Lucas stopped walking and stared at Dan. "I played my ass off tonight and I'm pretty tired, so why don't you just tell me what you want so I can tell you to go to hell and get home to bed."

Though he didn't like being spoken to with such disrespect, Dan appreciated the fact that Lucas displayed a spine, at the very least. "Where are you planning on going to college, Lucas?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly, caught off-guard by the question.

"You want to play ball, don't you?"

"If it gets me a scholarship, yeah," he answered, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He was tired, and he was annoyed that Dan was the one waiting for him when Peyton was nowhere to be found. _Probably killed her and hid the body_, he thought cynically. "Is there a point to this line of questioning?"

Dan smiled and put an arm around Lucas, unphased when his son pulled away immediately. "I have connections at Oakworth Academy, Lucas. I put in a good word for you and your options will be limitless."

Lucas smiled knowingly, wondering if Dan really thought he was that dense. Did he actually think that Lucas didn't know exactly what he was doing? That he was trying to dismantle Paige's team by taking out her captains first?

"Ya know, I used to think that there was nothing worse in the world than being abandoned by my father." Shaking his head, he gave another cynical laugh. "Turns out, knowing I'm your second choice is worse." Bumping Dan's shoulder, Lucas walked out of the gym without another look back.

But Dan wasn't ready to let him go. "Think about it, Lucas. Even if you don't get a basketball scholarship, Oakworth would afford you an academic edge that a public school like Tree Hill just can't give you." Stepping forward, he took his son's arm and leaned close, his voice dangerously low. "And I'm sure an academic scholarship would make things a lot easier on your mom's bank account." When Lucas flinched, he smiled. "Think about it."

"I swear, I'll just be a second," Haley called over her shoulder, nearly running into Dan as he left the gym. "Oh, sorry," she started, glaring when she realized who she had almost taken out. "Wait, no I'm not."

"Haley," Dan smirked as he left her in the gym with her friend.

She was about to tell him exactly what she was thinking about, what she had been thinking for months now, but before she could open her mouth, she noticed Lucas, staring at the floor and looking like he'd lost his puppy. "Hey you," she smiled, walking toward him and bumping him with her shoulder. "You okay?"

But Lucas just shook his head. "No, I'm not," he answered honestly.

"Lucas," Haley said, her voice low as she looked around to make sure they were alone. "Brooke told me about. . ."

"Hales, not now," he warned, holding up a hand as he turned his back and headed out of the gym. "I gotta get outta here."

Haley just shook her head and ran back toward the locker room to grab her History book. She had meant to use her time between school and the game to study for an upcoming test, but had ended up unburdening her soul to Brooke instead. And somehow, it didn't make her feel any better.

"You okay?" a soft voice asked as she exited the locker room.

Looking up, Haley shook her head and smiled graciously. "Uh, yeah," she lied, running a hand through her hair. "I'm fine."

Paige returned the smile and nodded. "You're Haley, right?" When Haley affirmed, Paige looked at the keys in her hands and then back to the nervous-looking cheerleader in front of her. "Hey, if you wanna rustle up your squad, the team's comin' over to my place for pizza tonight. You guys are welcome to join us," she invited.

"Are you actually gonna let us in the house?" Haley asked sarcastically.

Paige laughed and nodded in appreciation. "I deserve that. Yes, you will be welcomed," she assured the younger girl in front of her. As they both began to leave the building, Paige cleared her throat. "Hope to see you later, Haley," she waved before stepping into her car.

"What the hell was that about?" Brooke asked, a bitter twinge in her voice as she joined her friend on the curb.

Turning, Haley turned her head to the side, considering Brooke. "We are cordially invited to the team's celebration party at Coach Dixon's house," she said curiously.

Brooke laughed and then noticed the serious look on Haley's face. "You're not kidding, are you?" Haley shook her head. "Well, I can't think of anything better than sitting around with Coach Bitchy while Lucas and Peyton drool all over each other and you avoid Nathan all night."

Rolling her eyes, Haley linked her arm with Brooke's and stepped off the curb toward the little blue Volkswagen waiting for them. "Come on, Sunshine. It might be fun."


	10. Misinterpretation

**Season on the Brink**

"I don't know where you went, man, but the whole team's hangin' out at Coach's house, so come over when you get this." Nathan flipped his phone shut and dropped into the deck chair beside Paige. "He's probably with Peyton."

Paige nodded and looked out over the beach that served as her backyard, where several players had started a bonfire. "Yeah," she agreed. "If he's suddenly a lanky, bald, black man."

Nathan followed her line of vision and found his ex-girlfriend laughing at something Skills Taylor was saying. "He was all amped after the game," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I don't know where he went."

"Why do you look like your dog died?" Paige asked. "I thought you guys had this whole history of anger and violence."

"We do. But it's not like that now," Nathan clarified, relaxing into his seat.

While most of the team watched a Charlotte Bobcats game on the huge flat screen television just beyond the glass door, Paige rested her head against the back of her chair and turned her face toward the young man beside her.

He was so young, but had an air of maturity that defied his age. His blue eyes shone against the darkness of the night, something playing behind them that she couldn't quite identify. "So what changed?" she asked finally.

Nathan let his gaze drift back to the ocean. "Haley," he answered simply.

Nodding, Paige realized that he truly was still a high school kid. "She's your girlfriend?"

He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Ex," he answered, his brow furrowed in concentration. "We broke up last year, in April. Well, she did most of the breaking up," he ammended.

"But you're still sprung on her," Paige smiled knowingly.

"I'd kinda like another chance. Or at least an explanation," Nathan said.

For all the "I'm not here to be your friend" bluster she always blew at the beginning of the season, one of Paige's favorite parts of coaching was helping her players find their way, on the court and off. And if there was anything she had learned in the last few years, it was that sometimes the guys didn't need an answer, just an ear to listen. And sometimes a few questions would lead them to the solutions on their own.

"Have you told her that?"

Nathan shook his head and chuckled cynically. "Oh, she knows that," he said. If there was anyone who knew what he was thinking without him actually having to say the words, it was Haley. That was part of the beauty of their relationship.

Paige took a moment to process the information, listening to the sounds of youth and celebration around her. "And you think she's gonna come around? After five months?" When he didn't answer, she turned and leaned toward him. "Don't get me wrong, Nate. I mean, I talked to Haley earlier tonight and she seems nice. But you're so young.

"You've got so many more relationships to screw up before you spend this much time focused on one person in your life," she smiled softly and pushed her long, blonde locks out of her face.

He knew the argument. He'd had it with his mother, his father, and just about everyone else who had watched him mope around after Haley broke up with him. "It was different with Haley. Special," he insisted.

"So special that she doesn't want it back?"

The words struck him hard, but Nathan said nothing. He found that being silent was his best defense against saying stupid shit that he would regret later. And since he had already seen Paige's ugly side, he was pretty sure that he would regret saying any of the remarks on the tip of his tongue.

Paige reached out and touched his knee for a brief moment. "You have a talent that most guys would kill for, Nate. And the best part about playing basketball is that it's a great emotional outlet."

"I know," Nathan answered, unsure of what else he was supposed to say. When Paige stood and looked back at him, he smiled in spite of himself. "What?"

Paige shrugged and motioned for him to join her. "There's a hoop in the driveway. What do you say we outlet some emotion?"

Standing, he smiled. He had learned a thing or two about the game himself. The best part, in his opinion, was that he didn't have to talk while he was playing.

"Someone should really tell Bevin that Peyton is trying to ruin HER life now," Brooke said as she rested her head on Haley's shoulder, gazing out the picture window at the few people who were still gathered on the beach.

Turning, Haley smiled slightly, a grin that never quite reached her eyes. "I'm gonna walk home."

"Haley, what's wrong?" Brooke asked.

But Haley couldn't speak. Her plan had been to come to the party and tell Nathan that she had been stupid, that it didn't matter if Dan or anyone else thought they weren't right for each other. It didn't matter that they were headed in opposite directions with their lives, and their college plans. She still loved him.

Then she had seen him talking to Paige, their bodies leaned toward each other as they spoke in low tones. She couldn't hear them through the picture window, but she could tell that they were speaking intimately. And when Paige had touched Nathan's knee, Haley had felt her dinner rising in her throat.

Shaking her head again, she walked past Brooke and out of the house. When Nathan didn't so much as wave when she walked past he and his coach on the way to her car, she felt as though her doubts had been confirmed. Any chance she had of getting Nathan back was gone. And she had no one to blame but herself.


	11. Expect the Unexpected

**Season on the Brink**

**So I know it's been about a week since I updated - shame on me. Sorry for the delay guys. Hope it was worth the wait. **

There was a time when Lucas had barely noticed the door in his bedroom that led to the side porch. Before he started dating, before sneaking in and out became part of his weekly routine, he'd had little use for it. But as he pushed it open and quietly slipped inside the house at 4:00 in the morning, he was grateful for the escape route.

Until his interior door opened and he found his worried-looking mother, and his even angrier-looking step-father, staring back at him. "Shouldn't you guys be in bed?" he asked.

Karen put a hand on her husband's shoulder and took a step inside the room. "Where have you been?"

He sighed and sank to the bed. "Started my evening with a nice little Dan Scott chit-chat, then I wandered around town for a couple of hours, and then I went to the river court for awhile."

Before he could continue rattling off his whereabouts, Karen pointed a finger at him. "You're so lucky I have to open the cafe in two hours and I desparately need the sleep that worrying about you has deprived me of until now. We'll talk about this later," she warned, brushing past Keith in pursuit of her own bed.

When she was gone, Keith moved into the room and sank to the bed beside the boy he had always considered his own son. "Lucas," he started.

Lucas struggled to sit and raised an eyebrow at Keith. "Look, Keith, I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but I'm just not really in the mood for a father-son pep talk right now, okay?"

"Good thing I'm not in the mood to give you one, then," Keith responded, his eyes steeled and angry. "Personally? I'd like to just drag you out in the yard and give you a good ass-kicking, but your mom says that's not really legal now that you're my son," he gave the first hint of a half-smile as he remembered the argument he'd had with his wife a few hours earlier.

Shrugging, Lucas looked at Keith in confusion. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I know I should have let you guys know where I was and everything," he started.

Keith shrugged and stood, looking around the room. "Listen, Luke, I know that there are things you're going to have to deal with on your own. There are more and more things that you're going to go through that your mom and I can't hold your hand through." He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and gave his son a warm look. "You just gotta remember that girls are gonna come and go. Friends grow up and grow apart. And Dan's," he stopped and tried to think of a word for his younger brother, "Well, he's Dan."

Lucas nodded in agreement and rested his head against the wall behind his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Dan offered to pay my way to Oakworth for the rest of the year."

Leaning in the door frame, Keith tucked his hands in his pockets and thought about what Lucas had just told him. "And what did you tell him?"

"That I didn't wanna be his substitute Nathan," Lucas answered honestly, looking at the man in the doorway. "He said it would be a great academic opportunity, even if I didn't get a basketball scholarship." When Keith continued staring at the floor, Lucas let out another heavy sigh. "He's right."

"He's using you to hurt Coach Dixon," Keith said flatly, raising his eyes to see that Lucas knew that already. "Luke, you don't have to worry about a scholarship, okay? I've got college covered, wherever you decide to go."

Lucas laughed slightly. How in the world could Keith possibly have college covered? He barely managed to keep his own business afloat. But the yawn that escaped his lips was sign enough that it was way past time to ask questions. At least for the night. "Can we talk about this later, Keith? Like after my mom grounds me for the rest of my life?"

Keith just waved good night and left the room, closing the door behind him. Sinking back into the bed, Lucas ran his hands over his face and shook his head. Girlfriend drama was a high school given, but the issues that he was dealing with were not. Sometimes he wondered if he would even graduate before the world came to a screeching halt.

The ringing of his telephone sounded, drawing him out of his thoughts. Rolling over, he took it from his back pocket and looked at the caller ID screen. Hitting the button to ignore the call, he tossed the phone onto the bed beside him and closed his eyes. Peyton could wait until tomorrow.

------

Haley squinted her eyes against the glare of her overhead light, sleep fogging her mind as she glanced at the clock. "What the hell?"

"Come on, James," Peyton instructed loudly, pulling on the covers until Haley was left with nothing but pajama pants and a tank top to shield her from the brisk, fall morning. "We've only got about twenty minutes."

"For what?" Haley mumbled, rolling over to bury her face in the pillows again. "It's only 6:30."

But Peyton wouldn't be swayed. Throwing the blinds open, she waited for her friend to turn over on the bed and shoot her an angry glare. "You can lay there and bitch and moan until I'm forced to drag you from this room, kicking and screaming. Or you can get up like a good little tutor girl and take a shower. Either way, we're leaving this house at 6:50," she said.

The only thing worse than being awakened at the ass crack of dawn was being threatened first thing in the morning. It had been a long weekend, and since she hadn't been able to fall asleep until well after midnight, she was counting on those last few minutes of sleep before the alarm clock sounded. But Peyton wasn't kidding. With a groan, Haley rolled out of the bed and gathered her things for a quick shower.

Twenty minutes later, she was resting her face on her palm as the morning air whipped through her hair. "Where are we going?"

Peyton turned the radio down and looked over at her friend. Though things between she and Brooke were tense, Peyton was happy to find that she and Haley still got along. Dancing around the subject of Lucas, since Haley refused to side with either of them in that matter, was tricky sometimes. But for the most part, their friendship had remained unchanged.

"To school," Peyton answered honestly, her blonde curls blowing around her face as she smiled at some inside joke that only she was privvy to.

"Why?" Haley asked automatically, looking at the clock again to make sure it really wasn't even seven yet. "Are you failing a class? Beause we could have set up some tutor sessions after school or on the weekends," she started, shaking her head and trying to figure out why in the world she had been kidnapped before dawn.

But Peyton just shook her head as she made a right-hand turn toward the school. "This isn't about tutoring. Lucas told me about what you saw the other night, at Coach Dixon's house," she explained.

Haley felt the blush rising in her cheeks as she looked out the window again. Of course she should have known better than to trust Lucas with that particular information. "You dragged me out of bed to talk about this? Peyton, don't you think that's a little bit extreme?" she asked when they pulled into the school parking lot.

"There's something you need to see, Haley," Peyton answered, the small smile still playing on her lips. "Does Coach Dixon give Nathan preferential treatment? Probably," she answered, killing the engine of her car in the back of the parking lot. "But it's not because there's anything going on between them."

Haley followed her friend's eyeline as a sleek sports car eased into the parking lot and stopped outside of the gym doors. "Who's that?" Haley asked as the doors opened and two figures stepped out. "Is that Coach Dixon?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Peyton nodded. "Yes, it is," she answered, her smile growing.

"Oh my god," Haley gasped. "Peyton that's," she stopped as the young coach moved around the front of the car to throw her arms around the driver. When they kissed, Haley tilted her head to the side. "That's Cooper."


	12. Sacrifice

**Season on the Brink**

**A/N: I was going to wait to post this chapter until I was sure that the "alert" feature was working again, but I can't wait anymore. I've promised you guys an explanation as to the whole Nathan and Haley break up, and here it is. I hope you like it!**

"Nathan, can I talk to you for a minute?"

With a groan, Nathan removed his hand from the front door knob and turned to see his father in the hall. "I'm already late, Dad," he reminded his father, checking his watch for effect.

Dan nodded and motioned for his son to join him. "I know, son, but it doesn't really matter," he assured with a smile. "Just come in here for a second."

Nathan followed him into the kitchen and rested against one of the bar stools by the counter. A folder was sitting in the middle of the table, with an Oakworth jersey. "Dad, I already told you that I'm not going to Oakworth," he said.

Whenever he was about to tell someone that their opinion didn't matter, there was a sadistic smile that turned the corners of Dan's mouth. And the smile was in full effect as he pushed the folder toward his son. "But I'm your father, Nathan. And it is still my job to decide what is in your best interest."

"Dad, I'm seventeen!" Nathan interjected.

Dan nodded. "Yes, you are. And until you're eighteen, the law says I get to make the decisions here. My decision is that you're going to Oakworth, and that is final."

Rollign his eyes, Nathan stood, hitching his backpack over his shoulder. "Whatever, Dad," he sighed. Dan was always doing ridiculous things that Nathan couldn't fathom. And he always found a way to get around his father's obsessive controlling.

"I know why you're fighting this, Nathan," Dan said before Nathan was out of ear shot. "Ask yourself this, though," he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "If she hasn't taken you back by now, what are the odds she going to now?"

Slamming the door behind him, Nathan took a moment on the porch to process what had just happened. As always, Dan had found a way to turn his thoughts in just the right direction. But before he folded to his father's will this time, there was something he needed to know.

-------

Reading the same page for the fifth time, Haley tried her best to focus on the take-home test in front of her. It would be figured as half of her final grade, and she had to do well. But every time she opened the history book, all she could think about was Nathan. Hell, any time she did anything, all she could think about was Nathan.

After seeing Paige and Cooper together in the parking lot, Peyton explained that she often showed up early to use the school's art studio before the students arrived. She told Haley that she had seen Cooper drop Paige off at the school on more than one occasion, and that they were always at least that chummy, if not moreso.

The knowledge had relieved Haley, but also made things ten times more complicated. It meant that nothing was standing between them anymore. Almost nothing.

As if on cue, the door to the tutor center opened and closed. Raising her eyes, Haley felt her heart flutter. "Nathan," she said, pushing her book to the side.

Flopping into a chair across the table from her, he dropped his bag to the floor and leaned back in his seat. "I need to ask you something. And I need you to be absolutely honest with me, okay?"

She cleared her throat and nodded, trying to fight the barrage of emotions that were taking her over. "Um, okay."

"What happened to us?"

Though she had always expected that he would want to talk about the break up at some point, she certainly wasn't prepared for the manner in which he started the conversation. "Nathan," she started.

But he shook his head and tapped on the table with a finger. "Look, if you just weren't feelin' me anymore, I can deal with that. But if there was something more to it, I need to know that. And I need to know it now."

Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her hair and tried to think of the best way to tell him the truth that he deserved. "It wasn't because I didn't love you, Nathan. I do," she admitted out loud the one thing she had been holding back for what felt like an eternity. "Look, we're headed in two different directions, okay? I'm going to Stanford next year and you're probably going to end up at Duke or UNC. I don't know if you realize this, but that's two separate coasts, Nathan.

"And even if we did make it work through college, how are we ever going to reconcile your basketball career with whatever I end up doing?" She finally took a breath, her eyes conflicted as she searched his for answers she knew he couldn't give.

"So you broke up with me more than a year before graduation because we might not work out after college?" Nathan wasn't sure if he was more surprised at her logic or the complete lack of emotion in her eyes as she spoke.

"Yeah," she answered, steeling herself against the venom he would no doubt send her way.

He looked at the table for a moment, and then at her. "Did you come to that decision all by yourself?" She looked surprised, but said nothing in response. "It was him, wasn't it? My dad told you that it would never work, that there were too many odds stacked against us?"

She took a deep breath and stood, looking out the window. "Your dad is the mayor of Tree Hill, Nathan," she reminded him, as though Nathan didn't know that already.

"So?"

Turning, she looked at him seriously. "My dad works for the city."

The light of realization dawned in his blue eyes. "He threatened your dad's job?" When she didn't answer, he stood and slammed his chair against the floor. "Unbelievable," he growled. "So if it wasn't for that, we'd still be together?"

The tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them. Truth be told, she didn't want to stop them anymore. "Whether we like him or not, Nathan, he has a lot of power. I would love to be able to just say "fuck him" and be with you like I really want to be, but this isn't just about you and me. He made it about so much more."

Closing the gap between them, Nathan ran his hands up Haley's arms and rested them on her shoulders. "Haley, if I can convince my dad not to fire yours, will you have dinner with me tonight?"

She nodded, unable to speak over the butterflies fighting for position in her stomach. Feeling his touch only re-ignited the fire that had been smoldering under the surface for five months. It was like a drug and now she knew that she just wanted more.

Nathan lowered his head and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. "I told you back in April, Haley. I'm not letting us go that easily."

A sense of relief filled her as she rested her face against his chest. Nathan tightened his arms around her in a bear hug. "I love you," she whispered softly.

"I love you," he responded with another kiss as the bell rang, signalling the end of first period. "Always," he winked.

The door opened as another tutor reported for second period duty. But Haley didn't notice. For the first time in months, she felt like she could breathe again, like maybe thigns would be okay. With a wide smile, she stood on her toes and gave him one last kiss. "And Forever."

------

"I can't fight you anymore."

Dan looked up from the paper work he was suffering through, into his son's sincere eyes. "I'm in the middle of something, Nathan," he stated, remaining aloof to the kid's outburst.

But Nathan wouldn't be denied. Unzipping his backpack, he pulled the Oakworth jersey from his bag. "I'll go to your stupid school, I'll play my ass off, and I'll go to Duke, just like we always planned." When Dan stood, clearly ready to revel in his success, Nathan held up a finger. "On one condition."

Motioning for his son to have a seat, Dan lowered himself back to his chair. "What is it, Nathan?"

Nathan disregaurded the invitation and leaned across the desk, his knuckles white from the death grip he had on the dark wood. "I'm having dinner with Haley tonight. If things go the way I hope they do, we're getting back together and we're going to make it work." Dan grimaced, but Nathan didn't care anymore. "I'll jump through your hoops. You can live vicariously through me all you want. But you stay away from her, and you leave her father alone."

Dan sat back, slightly stunned. He wasn't sure if he was offended at Nathan's tone, or impressed with his moxy. "Fair enough," he held his hands up in surrender. When Nathan raised a skeptical eyebrow, Dan smirked. "It's not like you guys will last two weeks that far apart anyway."


	13. Awkward Much

**Season on the Brink**

If Haley had ever dreamt of the perfect date, Nathan was making it come true. Even winning their game that evening couldn't put bigger smiles on the couples' faces as they arrived at the riverside restaurant Nathan had chosen for dinner.

As he opened the car door for her, Haley felt like a princess. When he pulled a bouquet of small purple flowers out of the backseat, her tummy did a little flip-flop. "Nathan," she sighed, taking the flowers that had been so symbolic to their relationship in the past. "These are the flowers from the beach," she told him, as though he didn't already know that.

Nathan nodded, thinking back to the days they had spent weekends at his parents' beach house, hiding from the rest of the world, and laying in the sand. "They are," he nodded, dropping a kiss on her forehead before weaving his fingers through hers.

When the waitress showed them to their table, Haley was again surprised to find her favorite, macaroni and cheese, already waiting for them. Another purple flower had been placed in the center of her plate and she found herself fighting tears as she spread the cloth napkin across her legs.

They spent the first twenty minutes of dinner eating and reminiscing about the good times they had shared during the course of their time together. After their empty plates had been cleared, Haley wiped her mouth and cleared her throat. "Did you get a chance to talk to your dad?"

But Nathan just shook his head. "We're not talking about him tonight, okay?" When she smiled slightly, he reached across the table and wove his fingers through hers. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

She smiled and nodded, impressed when he stood quickly and pulled her chair out for her. "Where are we going?" she asked, happily swinging their joined hands as they approached the car.

He was like a smug child when he squeezed his lips together and shook his head. "I'm not tellin'."

------

_Swish!_

Lucas held his arms up in a casual sign of victory before moving toward the bouncing ball. Before he could grab it, a sneaker-clad foot stopped it's progress. He smiled at her as she picked up the basketball and bounced it back to him. "You haven't had enough basketball for one night?"

Aiming for another shot, he raising an eyebrow at her. "You can never have enough basketball," he smiled slightly as the ball found its mark once more. "What's on your mind, Pretty Girl?"

They moved toward the bleachers beside the court and sat side by side. Brooke took a deep breath and shook her head. "I thought you would be celebrating your big win with your girlfriend," she said softly.

Lucas shook his head. "Her dad's home for a few days," he explained. "Thought I'd give 'em some alone time." Brushing her dark hair from her face, her smiled again. "You feelin' alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, lost in the depth of his eyes once again. For the life of her, she couldn't remember a time when she hadn't known him, when she hadn't been enamored with Lucas Scott. She couldn't remember what life was before he had come into her sphere of influence.

There were a million questions that he wanted to ask her, but the crunching sound of tires on gravel interrupted his thoughts. They each turned toward the headlights and smiled as Nathan and Haley stepped out of the car.

"Are we interrupting something?" Haley asked, smiling as Brooke stood to hug her friend. "Are you okay?"

Brooke nodded and sniffled back the tears were threatening to fall. "I'm good."

"Dude, you wanna play a little one-on-one?" Nathan asked Lucas, grabbing the ball that was now resting on the bleachers. "I was gonna try to teach Haley how to shoot a free throw," he smiled, winking at the girl beside him. "Since I'm pretty sure she still sucks at it."

Haley pushed Nathan's arm. "Shut up," she protested. "I'm not that bad!"

"Oh, Haley," Lucas shook his head and grinned at his childhood best friend, "There are kids at the Special Olympics with a better shot than you."

Brooke jumped in to defend her friend, as the four of them began teasing each other easily. For a brief moment in time, it was as if nothing had ever changed between them. It was as if they were exactly where they were supposed to be.

"Is this a private party? Or can anyone join?"

Lucas turned immediately at the sound of Peyton's voice, jumping slightly. "Hey," he said with a nervous grin. "I thought you were with your dad tonight."

"Obviously," she answered coldly, staring more at her feet than the people around her. Though she was sure she was over-reacting, seeing all four of the people she considered her closest friends having a good time without her hurt. "So what's goin' on?"

"Nathan brought me out here for our date," Haley started to explain as Nathan slung his arm around her shoulder. "And apparently we were coming out here to make fun of my free-throw abilities, but then Luke and Brooke were already here," she rambled and then realized that she had said too much. "I mean," she started, but Peyton shook her head.

"Haley, it's fine," Peyton shook her head. "It's no big deal, right?" One thing she wasn't sure Lucas even knew about himself was that his eyes gave him away, even when he thought he was controlling his emotions. And the look he was shooting her at the moment said that he was guilty as hell.

There was a time when hanging out with these people would have been an ideal night for Lucas. But it wasn't really feeling like one of those nights. "You wanna head back to my house?" he asked Peyton, praying for a quick escape with limited incident.

"Not really," Peyton answered honestly, her eyes locking onto Brooke's. She had tried to be cordial, tried to make ammends for the horrible things that she had done to her friend. But she was tired of feeling guilty for being with the guy who had chosen to be with her. She was tired of doing pennance and feeling like it was doing absolutely no good. "Luke," she sighed, turning to the man at her left, fully aware that all eyes were on her.

When he met her eyes, he wished like hell that he hadn't. The pain and confusion he found there was equally as bad, if not worse, than the look Brooke had given him when she found out he had been cheating on her. "Peyton," he whispered.

"Just tell me what's going on, okay?" She didn't care anymore that everyone was watching her or that she might make a scene. She just wanted to know the truth. "You say you wanna be with me, but then you're meeting Brooke in the middle of the night. Just tell me what's going on."

Haley gripped Nathan's hand and wished she was anywhere but there. She was closer to Brooke, without a doubt, but Peyton was her friend, too. And then there was Lucas, her best friend when nobody else standing there had even known her name. She didn't want to watch whatever was going to happen next.

It was supposed to be their special reunion dinner, and at the moment, Nathan didn't give a damn about whatever love triangle his ex-girlfriend and his brother were involved in. This was his one chance to give Haley a night to remember before he left for Oakworth, and even if it was selfish, he wanted her all to himself.

Lucas looked from Peyton to Brooke and then at the ground. Things were so much more complicated than he could put into words. His life was more complicated than he ever imagined they would be. Especially during his senior year in high school.

Before he could say anything, though, Brooke cleared her throat and took a slight step forward. "I'm pregnant."


	14. Like Father Like Son

**Season on the Brink**

**A/N: So it's been a couple of weeks since I posted a chapter, but I've been kinda blocked lately. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I'll try not to take so long the next time.**

**-------------------**

Taking the court for the first time as a Raven was hard. Turning down Dan's offer to go to Oakworth had been difficult, as well. Watching Peyton walk away from the river court without a word broke his heart. But Lucas was sure that nothing had ever seemed as impossible as telling his mom and Keith about Brooke's pregnancy.

"You don't have to come with me," Lucas sighed, running his hand over his hair as Brooke locked her little VW bug.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she shook her head and sniffled. "The last time you told your mom that I was pregnant, she tattooed your cheek with her hand, Lucas," Brooke smiled, balling her hand into a fist to keep from rubbing the stubble that was growing on that cheek now. "I've got a few moves," she held her fists up and pretended to jab the air. "I think I can protect you this time."

Lucas smiled in spite of the situation. Their history wasn't exactly filled with mature decisions. With an hand on the small of her back, he allowed her to step onto the porch first. Wrapping his fingers around the door knob he turned back to her, his eyes sincere and serious. "Whatever they say," he started.

But Brooke only shook her head. "We'll hear them out, and then we'll explain everything that we've been talking about," she explained calmly. "No matter how angry they get, it doesn't change the fact that they love you, they kinda like me, and we're in this for the long haul."

Though the situation was anything but, Brooke's demeanor made everything seem easy. "Let's do this then," he nodded, gathering all of the strength he could muster and pushing the door open with his shoulder.

The house was silent and, for a moment, Lucas wondered if his parents were even home. When the hall light came home, he felt his knees buckle. "I can't," he whispered.

Brooke smiled as Karen rounded the corner, her terry cloth robe engulfing her small frame. "Hi, Karen," she waved shyly, unsure of what Lucas had told her of their failed relationship or how she would be welcomed.

Karen's lips twitched in a smile, but before she could say anything, Keith tottered into the living room, shirtless, his hair disheveled like an eight-year-old on Saturday morning. Blinking against the glare of the light, he assessed the pair in front of him. "Since when do you use the front door?" he asked Lucas.

Lucas smiled hesitantly and ran his hand over his hair. The last time he had made this announcement to his mother, it had been a mistake. This time, it wasn't. Brooke had showed him the home pregnancy test and the doctor's blood test the night she had asked him to meet her at the river court. This time, his mother's worst fears for him were about to come true.

"Mom," he whispered. "Keith," he shook his head, returning his gaze to the floor. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say the words.

Karen shook her head, her gut sinking. "No," she sighed, her tears catching in her throat. He didn't have to say it. She was his mother. And more than that, she had been in the same position. She just knew.

"What's goin' on?" Keith asked as Karen sank to the couch on weak legs. "Lucas?" he turned to his step-son with a look of confusion.

"I'm pregnant, Keith," Brooke said softly, moving to the couch to sit next to Karen. She didn't know if it was a wise decision, but her body seemed to move on it's own.

The confession did nothing to clarify things for the man still standing in the middle of the living room, looking as though he had accidentally stumbled into the wrong house. "I thought you were with Peyton," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head as he turned his eyes to Lucas once more.

"I am," Lucas admitted. "This happened before Brooke and I broke up," he explained.

Karen looked at the young woman beside her, a mixture of empathy and disdain filling her chest. She had always liked Brooke, but this was not the life she had envisioned for either of them. "How far along are you?"

Brooke licked her lips and rested her hands on her flat stomach. "Three months," she answered, reaching out to touch Karen's arm. "I know you're angry," she started.

But Karen shook her head and looked from Lucas to the mother of his child and then back. "I'm not angry," she assured both of them. "Just disappointed." The look in Lucas's eyes broke her heart, but it didn't change the facts. It didn't make the baby go away. "Did you guys learn nothing from the last time?"

Finally gaining his barings, Keith cleared his throat and put a hand on Lucas's shoulder. "I don't think that matters anymore," he sighed, shaking his head. Though he'd never been in the same position, he remembered going through Karen's pregnancy before Lucas was born, and he knew that wishing it hadn't happened didn't nullify the facts. "Does Peyton know?"

Lucas nodded and looked to Brooke. "We told her tonight," he admitted. They didn't need to know how she found out, or that there was a chance she would never speak to either of them again. At least not for now.

"So what's the plan?" Keith asked, taking control of the situation as only he could. "Brooke, are you seeing a doctor? Taking care of yourself?"

She nodded and tucked her dark hair behind her ears, risking another glance at Karen. "My parents are taking care of the medical expenses. I'm going to try to get a job now to save money for once the baby is born, because I know they're going to cut me off."

Her voice was so quiet that they almost missed Karen's words. "You can work at the cafe." When Brooke smiled in relief, Karen let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I may not be happy about this, Brooke, but I'm not going to leave you stranded. My parents did it to me, and I'm not going to make you guys go through that."

Lucas had never wanted to hug his mother so badly, but he held his place until he was sure she wasn't going to smack him again. "Dan offered me a job with the city's work crew last summer. I'm gonna see if that offer still stands."

"Or," Keith countered, wanting to do everything he could to keep Lucas from turning to his birth father for help, "I told you I have the college fund, Lucas. You could always cash that out to pay the bills until you guys get something a little more permanent. At least until after graduation."

In an instant, the reality of the situation descended on Lucas. Tears sprang to his eyes. He could take care of his child, or he could live his dream. One moment of intense pleasure had turned him into the one thing he had never wanted to be. His father.


	15. Raven Nevermore

**SEASON ON THE BRINK**

It was early Friday morning as Paige sat in her office, shuffling through papers and looking for her play book. Sinking to her chair, she rested her head in her hands. _Dammit, Cooper. _

He'd been in such a hurry to get out that morning, to get over to the track in Chapel Hill, that she'd barely been able to get dressed, let alone grab all of her paperwork off the kitchen table. She could clearly see the play book in her mind's eye, sitting atop the notebook paper and internet printouts she had been researching the night before.

Of course, she would have time to run home and grab the book before practice, but she would still feel naked without it for most of the morning. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was enough to put the feisty blond in a bad mood.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Checking the clock on the corner of her desk, Paige raised her eyes to see who would be visiting her so early on a Monday morning. "Nathan?" she asked.

Sheepishly, her team captain shut the office door and dropped into the chair across from Paige. "Coach, I gotta talk to you about something," he whispered. When Paige said nothing, he cleared his throat and tried to find the best way to proceed. "I'm goin' to Oakworth."

It was as if someone had shot her in the spine with a tranquilizer. Paige felt her fingers and toes going numb as her brain tried to focus on what the leading scorer on her team had just announced. He wasn't saying that he wanted more playing time or scoring opportunities. He wasn't telling her that his knee was bothering him or that he'd had pain in his shoulder. He was leaving.

"Trust me, Coach," Nathan went on, "I would give anything to stay in Tree Hill, but I just can't."

"Why can't you?" Paige asked, leaning back in her chair and straightening her shoulders. "Because your daddy won't let you?" She was unflinching as she leveled him with a glare. Maybe she couldn't stop him from leaving, but she sure wasn't going to let him go without a good reason.

Nathan shook his head and slinked further down in his chair. "It's more complicated than that," he insisted.

Pushing back from the desk, Paige stood and clenched her fists at her sides. "Then please explain it to me, Scott. Explain to me how a kid who once had no problem standing up to his father is now turning his back on a team that needs him, that depends on his leadership, to play a minimal supporting role at a school who already has a vicious starting line up!"

He was her boyfriend's nephew, and she liked him as a person. But she was still the coach of the Ravens, and she was still most concerned with the welfare of her team. She would treat any other player the same way in the same situation.

"Haley," Nathan said softly, his head hung in shame. Paige had told them time and again that their girlfriends, families, and friends didn't exist within the confines of the game. Even though she was practically family now, he wasn't naive enough to believe that she would accept his personal reasons for abandoning the team.

"What?" With her hands on her hips, she stepped out from behind the desk began to pace the side of her office. "I thought you guys were back together again," Paige said.

Nathan nodded, his eyes boring holes into his backpack on the floor. Any explanation was going to sound weak. Gathering his courage, he looked up and met his coach's eye. "The only reason she broke up with me was because my dad told her we didn't have a future, and that he would fire her father if she didn't end our relationship," he explained. "He'll leave her dad alone if I agree to play for Oakworth."

"Is it really worth it, Nate?" Paige asked, her voice softening as she stood in front of him and leaned on her desk, her arms crossed over her chest. "Is this girl really worth the sacrifice? Is she worth letting your entire team down?" she sighed, shaking her head. It was pointless to argue with a kid who still believed that love would be enough to conquer anything.

He would be the first to admit that he hadn't thought about that before he made the deal with Dan. But he had thought about it a lot since. "We're not undefeated because of me, Coach. We're undefeated because of this whole team. Yeah, I'm the leading scorer, but Lucas is right on my heels. Tim's getting steals left and right. Jake's blocks are insane. Everyone is working together. You guys can still win without me."

It was simple justification, and Paige knew it. But she also knew she wasn't going to be able to convince him to stay. Sinking back into her chair, she folded her hands on the top of the desk and considered him for a minute. He really was a good kid. "When do you leave?"

"Sunday morning." His face was devoid of any emotion. He wasn't excited. How could he be? He wasn't angry anymore, either. He could only be resigned to what he knew he had to do. "Look," he said suddenly. "I know that my dad is going to rub this in your face."

Paige looked at her computer screen and then back at her captain. "Let me worry about your dad," she winked. "You wanna make your last game as a Raven one he'll never forget?"

------

"Paige!"

Turning on her heel, Paige smiled across the sideline. She had been awaiting his arrival since the team took to the court for warm ups. "Mr. Scott," she grinned even wider, extending a hand to him.

"Well, I guess Nathan didn't tell you his big news yet," he smirked. "I'm sure you won't be smiling like that when you find out your star is leaving the team."

With a nod, Paige tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans and nodded to the end of the bench. "Oh, he told me," she assured the cocky man before her.

Dan looked in the direction she had nodded, his smile fading fast. Nathan was sitting next to one of the assistants, dressed in his warm ups while the starting line up shot around on the court. "Just because he's not playing for you after tonight, that doesn't give you the right to sit him on the bench. The coaches from Oakworth are taping this game. His play tonight could determine his eligibility in the starting line up," he insisted.

Raising an eyebrow, Paige just smiled wider. "Why should I give a damn about his position with Oakworth, Dan? The Ravens are my team. They're the ones I give a damn about."

Setting his jaw, Dan refused to show the coach how far under his skin she was really getting. "Might as well get used to losing," he shot snidely, moving into the bleachers to take his seat.

Paige just turned and called her team into a huddle. Standing beside his coach, Nathan couldn't help smiling. It had been hard, agreeing to sit out his last game as a Raven, but the look on Dan's face had helped ease the ache. "He's pissed," he assured the coach.

With a shake of her ponytail, Paige put her hand in the middle of the huddle and smiled as her team followed suit. "Not near as pissed as he's gonna be when we show him we can win without you."


End file.
